Railway-rail joint.



No. 722,346. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903. H. C. WORTMAN.

RAILWAY RAIL'JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.-2l. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

][6.%7Z772a77/ 1 8 m. av I I 7 I 1n: mum, sYzRs cu, mcm-ummwuwmmon u c.

ll rrnn terns nfrnr FFlCE.

HAMALINE CIQERO WVORTMAN, OF RENO, OIIIO.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,346, dated March 10, 1903. Application filed November 21, 1902. $eria1N 8 1 (N m l To (all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HAMALINE CIoERo WORTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reno, in the county of Washington and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Railway-Rail Joint, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed for uniting the adjacent ends of railway-rails, and has for its object the production of a simply-constructed mechanism whereby the adjacent ends of the rails are firmly united and clamped without the necessity of employing threaded bolts and nuts, but wherein depend ence is had entirely upon friction and wedges to produce the desired results.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, as hereinafter described, and specified in the claims following.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, and in which similar designating characters are employed to denote corresponding parts in all the figures, Figure l is a side elevation of the adjacent ends of the rails with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 11 II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. at represents perspective views of portions of the reversely-disposed clampplates. Fig. 5 is a side view, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line VI VI of Fig. 5, illustrating a modification in the structure. Figs. 7 and 8 are side views of a modified form of one of the locking-plates.

The improved device may be applied to the ordinary coupling employing the ordinary clamp or fish plates by substituting for'the ordinary screw-bolts the improved clamp-bolt and connecting thereto the improved clampplate. By this means the device may be applied with slight changes to the ordinary railway-coupling of the fish-plate form, while at the same time the device may be especially constructed to form an independent com plete joint applicable to the rail ends independently of the ordinary coupling or joint.

For the purpose of illustration the joint is shown applied to the rail ends, (indicated at 10 11,) the latter provided with the spaced transverse perforations through the vertical webs in the ordinary manner.

Upon one side of the rails is secured a fishplate or clamp-plate of the ordinary construction, as indicated 'at 12, and provided with spaced apertures registering with the apertures in the rail ends, and inserted through these apertures and likewise through the apertures in the rails are bolts 13, having heads 14, engaging the plate 12, and with annular channels near their other ends, the portion of the bolt containing the channel projecting beyond the opposite side of the vertical web of the rail, as shown in Fig. 3.

Embracing the side of the rail opposite the plate 12 is another plate, 16, which is designated as the primary plate for the purpose of distinguishing it.

The primary plate 16, a portion of which is shown in. Fig. 4, is provided with spaced perforations 17, formed large enough to permit the passage of the body portions of the bolts 13, and with reduced extensions 18 upon one side adapted to receive the reduced portions 15 of the bolts when theplate 16 is moved longitudinally of the rails.

The reduced extensions 18 will be all located upon the same side of the apertures 17, so that when the plate 16 is placed in position and moved horizontally of the rails all of the reduced portions 15 of the series of bolts will occupy their places within their respective reduced ends 18 of the spaced perforations, as will be obvious.

Engaging the plate 16 is a similar or secondary plate 19, having a series of perforations 20, corresponding to the perforations 17, each of the latter having a reduced extension 21, corresponding to the reduced eX- tensions 18 of the apertures 17, but located upon the opposite side therefrom, as indicated in Fig. 5, so that when the plate 19 is placed in position with its apertures 20 over the bolts 13 and then drawn longitudinally in the opposite direction from the primary plate 16 the reduced portions 21 of the apertures will engage the contracted portions 15 of the bolts on the sides of the bolts opposite to that engaged by the contracted portions 18, as indicated in Fig. 1, the two contracted portions 18 21 thus completely inclosing the contracted portions of the .bolts, while the heads 22 of the bolts will project over the body portion of the plate 19 and be firmly supported thereby. By this simple means the parts are firmly clamped together and can be separated only by reversely moving the two plates 16 and 19 in opposite directions longitudinally.

The plates 16 19 will be provided with spaced recesses 26 27, so located that when the plates are in operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, the holding-spikes 28 29 may be driven into the ties 30 through the registering apertures, and thus effectually prevent any longitudinal movement of the plates. By this simple means a very effective means is provided for clamping the coupling-plates fast to the rails and also securing the rails to the ties without the necessity for employing threaded bolts and nuts. By this arrangement also all tendency of the parts to become loosened is avoided, as the parts are immovably united and will not be afiected by the jarring and concussion of the passing trains. This is a very important feature of the invention and greatly simplifies the construction and also materially reduces the expense and at the same time materially increases the efficiency of the joint.

If desired, the edges of the reduced portions 21, leading from the apertures 20, may be chamfered, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the bolts will have a drawing effect imparted to them as the plate 19 is moved longitudinally, by which means the four parts 11 12 16 19 will be very firmly clamped together by simply driving the plate 19 longitudinally home, as will be obvious.

When employed in connection with the ordinary fish-plate having the spaced apertures adapted to receive the binding-bolts the primary plate 16 will not be employed and the secondary plate 19 only used, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this case the secondary plate 19 may be formed narrower than in the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and dependence placed upon friction alone to prevent its reverse longitudinal movement; but this would not be a departure from the principle of the invention, as the results produced would be substantially the same as in the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

If preferred, the apertures through the plates 16 19 might be placed transversely of the plates, as shown in Fig. 7, or arranged opening outwardly through the upper edges of the plates, as shown in Fig. 8. These forms of structure would generally be employed upon tracks in railway yards and other similar localities, where a lighter joint could be advantageously used, and the secondary plate would be inserted from below and forced upwardly to bring the reduced portions 15 into position relative to the reduced portions of the aperture instead of moving them longitudinally, as shown in the modifications in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; but these modifications would not be a departure from the principle of the invention, as they would accomplish substantially the same results in substantially the same manner. As a means of still further clamping and securing the joint a pair of clamping-jaws 33 34 are arranged in engagement centrally with the plates 12 and 19 and the tie-flange portion of the rails 10 11, each of the jaws having a depending end 35 36 and with transverse perforations through the depending ends.

The depending ends 35 36 supporta drawband 37, the draw-band having a transverse slot registering with the perforations through the depending ends 35 36, the slots and perforations adapted to receive a wedge key 38, as shown.

The depending ends 35 36 are closely engaged by the cavity through the band 37, which is inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the wedge keyis driven home the band 37 will be forced upwardly upon the depending ends by the action of the wedge key, and thus firmly compress the jaw members into engagement with the plates and the rail and very firmly clamp the parts together. This makes a very simple and efficient clamping means easily applied and attached at any desired point, but preferably opposite the joint between the ends of the rails, as shown in Fig. 1.

The clamp may be very readily detached when the joint is to be renewed or repaired, and by reason of the wedge action by which it is secured it may be tightened in event of its working loose by a few blows of a hammer upon the wedge key, so that the integrity of the wedge joint may be easily maintained.

The whole device is thus very simple in construction, easily applied either in connection with joints already in use or con structed complete and independently of other joints, as may be preferred.

The plates and other parts may be adapted to different-sized rails and may be constructed of steel or any other desired metal.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a railway-rail joint, the adjacent ends of the rails having spaced transverse apertures, clamp-bolts engaging said apertures and provided with annular channels, clampplates having spaced registering apertures corresponding to said bolts, and with reduced extensions reversely disposed and adapted to engage the contracted portions of said bolts from opposite sides when said plates are positioned upon said bolts and moved longitudinally in opposite directions, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-rail joint, the adjacent ends of the rails having spaced transverse apertures, a clamp-plate upon one side of said rail ends and having apertures spaced apart and registering with the apertures in said rails, clamp-bolts engaging said registering apertures and provided with annular channels, clamp-plates having spaced registering apertures corresponding to said bolts and with reduced extensions reversely disposed and adapted to engage the contracted portions of said bolts from opposite sides when said plates are positioned upon said bolts and moved longitudinally in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. 'In a railway-rail joint, the adjacent ends of the rails having spaced transverse apertures, clamp-bolts engaging said apertures and provided with annular channels, a primary clamp-plate having spaced apertures corresponding to said bolts, and a secondary plate having spaced perforations corresponding to said bolts and provided with extensions corresponding to the channels in said bolts, whereby when said secondary plate is positioned upon said bolts and moved longitudinally said reduced extensions will embrace said channels and the plates be thereby clamped to the rails, substantially as described.

4. In a railway-rail joint, clamp-plates engaging the opposite sides of the rails at their adjacent ends, means for clamping said plates to the rails, reversely-disposed jaw members engaging said plates from opposite sides and having depending ends, a draw-band having an inclined aperture inclosing said depending ends, and a wedge key operating to force said band member longitudinally of said depending ends and thereby draw said jaw members into engagement with said plates and rails, substantially as described.

5. In a railway-rail joint, clamp-plates engaging the opposite sides of the rails at their adjacent ends, means for clamping said plates to the rail, reversely-disposed jaw members engaging said plates from opposite sides and having depending ends provided with transversely-alined apertures, a draw-band having an inclined aperture inclosing said depending ends, and a Wedge key movably engaging said alined apertures and adapted to draw said band member longitudinally into engagement with said depending ends and forcibly compress said jaw members into engagement with said plates and rail ends, substantially as described.

6. In a railway-rail joint, clamp-plates engaging the opposite sides of the rails at their adjacent ends,means for clamping said plates to the rails, reversely-disposed jaw members engaging said plates from opposite sides and having depending ends provided with transvesely-alined apertures, a draw-band having an inclined aperture inclosing said depending ends and with a transverse slot registering with the alined apertures therein, and a wedge key movably engaging said alined apertures and slots and adapted to draw said band member longitudinally into engagement with said depending ends and forcibly compress said jaw members into engagementwith said plates and rail ends, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HAMALINE CIOERO WOR-TllIAN.

Witnesses:

ALENA I. METOALF, FRED L. MAURY. 

